


Going to the Dogs

by blueabsinthe



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Fluff and Crack, Gen, Vancouver Canucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-05
Updated: 2011-05-05
Packaged: 2017-11-23 11:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/621739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueabsinthe/pseuds/blueabsinthe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the prompt on the kink meme: <i>So, apparently Keith Ballard owns a Shih Tzu. I want Hamhuis teasing him about it, until it's revealed that Hamhuis has a maltese poodle - or another very unmanly type of breed, with an equally unmanly name.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Going to the Dogs

**Author's Note:**

> For a prompt on the hockey kink meme.

"How's George doing?" Dan coos as they exit the plane. 

"Fine," Keith grumbles. Their latest road trip had been long, and gruelling, and really, he was way too tired and cranky to deal with Dan's teasing. His teammates did tease him about his choice of pets, but ever since that damn podcast, the teasing had gone up exponentially. 

It was bad enough Rome teased him about George not being a real dog, but now Dan was starting. 

Dan falls into step beside Keith. "Come on, Keith, you didn't honestly expect we'd let up did you? I mean, really, a shih tzu? Did Jamie make you get George?"

They have just collected their baggage when Keith hears his cellphone ring, sparing him to defend his and Jamie's choice in pets. After a brief conversation with Jamie, he hangs up, and sees Dan has just clicked his phone shut too.

"Jamie?" Dan asks.

Keith nods. "She's waiting for me in the parking lot with Ava."

"Same. Sarah's here as well." They exit the airport, the blast of cool air hits their cheeks, which Keith has to say is mildly refreshing. 

He wanted nothing more than to hug Ava, and curl up in bed with Jamie. God only knows he needed it now. He's pulled from his thoughts by Dan nudging him. 

"Looks like George tagged along," Dan says.

Keith nearly whacks Dan on his arm until he sees Jamie standing outside her car, Ava in her arms, George's leash wrapped around her wrist. 

As they near, George barks happily, and wags his tail. Jamie is all smiles as he leans down to kiss her cheek. He takes Ava from Jamie, and bounces her in his arms, as he tells his daughter he missed her. 

Dan hangs back a bit, sensing this was a private moment, and he didn't want to intrude. He hears the sounds of an approaching car, and a car horn beeps. He turns and sees Sarah. She waves, and gestures she's going to park.

Keith has Ava buckled up in her car seat, and is trying to get an overly excited George calmed down enough when Sarah makes her way over. 

Dan kisses her cheek, and curls an arm around her waist. "Where are the kids?" 

"Babysitter. I had to bring Snowball though. She jumped into the car, and wouldn't get out. We can walk her before we go home."

Keith's ears perk up when he hears 'Snowball' and 'walk'. He smiles at Dan. "Snowball?"

Dan's cheeks are pink. "She's the dog."

Keith raises an eyebrow. "Really?"

Sarah kisses Dan's cheek. "Oh that's right, your teammates have never seen Snowball, have they?" She lets herself out of Dan's hold, and begins walking back towards the car. "I'll go get her."

"Really, Sarah, you don't have to -" Dan trails off when he realizes Sarah's out of earshot by now. 

When Sarah makes her way back, she has a pink leash clutched in her hand, and a snowy white ball of fluff on the end bounds happily towards Dan. 

Keith has to bite his bottom lip to stop from laughing. _Oh this was perfect._

"This little fur ball is Snowball," Sarah says, tugging on the leash slightly as Snowball begins sniffing George, before she makes a small noise and pokes her nose at George.

"What kind of dog is Snowball?" Keith asks, not bothering to hide his amusement at the sight.

Dan looks like he wants the concrete to swallow him up. "She's a maltese poodle," he mumbles.

"So a maltipoo?" Keith says.

Dan shakes his head, keeping his eyes on the ground, as he watches George sniff Snowball. 

"Ooh look, Dan, they like each other," Keith teases. 

Jamie whispers something to Keith. Keith nods, and then turns back to Dan and Sarah. "We should get going. See you at practice, Dan."

As Jamie shoos George back into the car, Sarah starts heading back to her car, Snowball trotting happily by her side. Dan's lips are pressed into a thin line as Keith turns back to him looking much like how a cat looks after finally getting its hands on a canary. 

"So, Snowball, huh?"

"Shut it, Keith," Dan mutters, before he looks up, eyes almost pleading. "Could you just … not say anything to the guys?"

Keith chuckles. "Turnabout is fair play."

Dan does not like the sounds of that.

Sure enough, at their next practice, Keith has taped pictures of maltese-poodles to his locker with 'Snowball' written on almost all of them. 

"I suppose it shouldn't be that big of a shock," Kevin says, trying to contain his laughter as Dan starts taking the pictures down. 

"Not another word," Dan says, glaring at Keith who is smirking at him from across the room.


End file.
